Vibrator



G. L. MALAN Nov. 1, 1966 VI BRATOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 23, 1965/4 INVENTOR.

650265 1. MALAN G. L. MALAN Nov. 1, 1966 VIBRATOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FiledJune 23, 1965 INVENTOR. 6 0265 L. MALAN i /Qlk/ ATTORA ZEKS.

United States Patent 3,282,570 VIBRATOR George L. Malan, Los AngelesCounty, Calif. (560 E. Rowland, Covina, Calif.) Filed June 23, 1965,Ser. No. 466,204 17 Claims. (Cl. 259-1) This application is acontinuation-in-part of applicants co-pending patent application SerialNo. 287,408, filed June 12, 1963, entitled, Vibrator, now Patent No,3,193,- 256, issued July 7, 1965, which in turn is a continuationin-partof patent application Serial No. 185,479, filed April 5, 1962, entitled,Vibrator With Separate Bearing and Compartment-Forming Surfaces, nowPatent No. 3,129,925, issued April 21, 1964. This application relates toa free-rotor vibrator with improved structure and characteristics.

The term free-rotor vibrator is utilized to described a class ofvibrator wherein an internal rotor orbits around inside a cylindricalrace whereby to exert unbalanced centrifugal forces directly against therace. This construction distinguishes it from another class of vibratorwherein an eccentric 'weight is whirled around a shaft so as to exertunbalanced centrifugal forces on the shaft, and through the shaft on thecase. The problems of these vibrators are distinct, and this applicationrelates only to free-rotor types.

There is increasing interest in stepping up the frequency offree-rotorvibrators and increasing their output, while still keeping theweight of the vibrator to a sensible minimum. In order to do this, thevibrator must be able to tolerate a throughput of fluid, either gas orliquid, of a relatively higher volume than has heretofore been possible,and also preferably should take advangtage of the expansive energy of agas when this class of fluid is used.

It is an object of this invention to provide a simple free-rotorvibrator of rugged construction and simple geometry, which vibratorinherently cannot stall in a central inoperative position and which can,when using gas as a power source, utilize the expansive power of thegas, and further can operate at higher frequencies than has heretoforebeen possible with conventional vibrators.

A vibrator according to this invention comprises a case that has aninternal cavity with a central axis and supply and exhaust ports whichlead into the cavity. A cylindrical compartment-forming surfacepartially bounds the cavity and this surface has a first diametercentered on the said central axis. A free-rotor is placed in saidcavity, and it is adapted to roll around inside the case in bearingcontact therewith in order to exert unbalanced centrifugal forces on thecase. The rotor has a central axis. An external cylindricalcompartment-forming surface is formed on this rotor which may or may notbear against the compartment-forming surface on the case. Thecompartment-forming surface on the rotor has a second diameter which issmaller than the opposite diameter of the case. The compartment-formingsurface on the rotor is centered on the central axis of the rotor. Thisrotor has a plurality of vane recesses that open into the rotor from itscompartment-forming surface. The axes of the rotor and cavity areparallel to each other.

A vane is slidably disposed in each of the vane recesses and each ofthem is adapted to extend beyond the compartment-forming surface of therotor in order to make contact with the compartment-forming surface ofthe cavity and to be retracted into the respective recess by forceexerted on it by the compartment-forming surface of the cavity.Respective compartments are formed between adjacent vanes in thecompartment-forming surfaces. A vane chamber is formed inside eachrecess 3,282,579 Patented Nov. 1, 1966 which is bounded by the vane andthe walls of the recess.

An eccentric element comprises a body having a pair of offset parallelbearings, the first being rotatably mounted to the case on its centralaxis and the second beingrotatably mounted to the rotor on its centralaxis, whereby the eccentric element rotates around the case axis whenthe rotor orbits in the case.

Compartment ports and passages and vane chamber ports and passages areso disposed and arranged sequentially and periodically to supply fluidunder pressure to the vane chambers and to the compartments, and toexhaust the same, whereby to cause the rotor to orbit in the cavity.

According to a preferred but optional feature of the invention, theeccentric element is laterally restrained by the case, and itselflaterally restrains the rotor whereby to exclude the rotor from assuminga position wherein the axes are coincident.

The above and other features of this invention will be fully understoodfrom the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings,in which:

FIGS. 1 and 2 are cross-sections taken at lines 1-1 and 22 of FIG. 3,respectively;

FIGS. 3 and 4 are cross-sections taken at lines 33 and 44, respectively,of FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 5 is a partial overlay of FIGS. 3 and 4 to show the respectiveoperations; and

FIG. 6 is a top cutaway view, showing an alternate embodiment of aportion of the invention.

The presently preferred embodiment of the invention is best shown inFIG. 2. Vibrator 10 includes a case 11 that has a tubular element 12 andend members 13, 14. A cavity 15 is formed inside the case and is atleast partially bounded by a cylindrical compartment-forming surface 16.A pressure port 17 passes into the case and opens at a supply port 18 onthe central axis 19 of the case and cavity. A coaxial exhaust line 20surrounds the pressure port and is connected thereto by a plurality ofexhaust holes which are in communication with a continuous exhaustgroove 22., which also is coaxial on axis 19. It will thereby be seenthat at face 23 of the cavity there is a continuous connection availableto pressure at port 18 and to exhaust at groove 22. The case has a firstdiameter 24. Fluid under pressure, such as compressed air, is applied atport 17, and line 20 goes to atmosphere or reservoir.

A free rotor 25 (FIG. 3) is fitted inside the cavity, and

same time rotating counterclockwise around its own axis 28. In so doing,the compartment-forming surfaces will bear against each other to act asbearing surfaces for transmitting centrifugal forces from the rotor tothe case, although the compartment-forming and bearing functions could,if desired, be separated as in applicants United States Patent Number3,219,925.

The rotor has a pair of boundary surfaces 30, 31 which boundary surfacesare surfaces of revolution which might assume different shapes,but'preferably are planar as shown in FIG. 2. FIG. 3 illustrates surface30, it being understood that boundary surface 31 is a mirror image ofthe same, the elements described herein extending therethrough and beingduplicated at both ends,

A plurality of vane recesses 33 is formed in the compartment-formingsurface 26 of the rotor, and extends radially thereinto. These vanerecesses also open onto the boundary surfaces. Within each of theserecesses there is provided a vane 34 which is extensible beyond thecompartment-forming surface, and is retractable thereinto by forcesexerted against the end thereof by compartment-forming surface 16.Within the recess and at the inner end of each there is a vane chamber35 of variable volume, the volume depending upon the extension of thevane. The inner ends of the vane recesses stand on a circle centered onthe central axis 28 of the rotor.

The rotor includes a pair of bearings 36, 37 which are centered on axis28. Exhaust passages 38 pass axially through the rotor from boundarysurface to boundary surface and have flared portions 39 at each of theirends. There is one of these passages 38 between each pair of vanes.

A central, axially extending pressure passage 46? extends between theends of bearings 36 and 37.

Compartments are formed between adjacent pairs of vanes and thecompartment-forming surfaces 16 and 26. It will be understood thatoccasionally a compartment will be divided in two by the tangency of thetwo compartment-forming surfaces but that all but one, and sometimesall, of the regions between adjacent pairs of vanes will at any time bebounded by two vanes and the compartment surfaces on the rotor and onthe case. An examination of FIG. 3 will indicate that if thecompartments on the right hand side of the figure were placed underpressure, and those on the left hand side were placed under exhaust, andthe vanes on the pressure side were kept pressed against thecompartment-forming surface of the case, then the rotor would tend toorbit clockwise inside surface 16. It is the purpose of this inventionto cause that motion to occur by supplying pressure and exhaustconnections to the appropriate compartments and vanes at the appropriatetimes.

For the above purpose there are supplied a pair of eccentric elements50, 51 these elements each including a boundary surface 52, 53,respectively, which bears against respective bounding surfaces 30 and 31of the rotor. It is to be understood that only one contiguous pair ofthese bounding surfaces is necessary to the operation of the vibrator,but that improved performance may be expected by balancing up thevibrator by supplying a set at each end. In order to simplify thedrawings, boundary surface 30 has been shown in FIG. 3 and boundarysurface 53 has been shown in FIG. 4. These are not contiguous surfaces.Instead the contiguous surfaces would be 30 and 52. However, surface 52is the mirror image of surface 53 and an adequate showing of theinteraction between the two surfaces would not be possible. Thereforefor the purpose of simplifying the illustrations, an overlay has beenprovided in FIG. 5' which shows the reaction between overlaid surfaces30 and 52 utilizing for illustration, however, surface 53 which is themirror image of the surface 52 which would be in actual contact withboundary surface 30.

Only surfaces 30 and 53 will be described in detail, it being understoodthat the mirror image of either would be required to be in surface tosurface sealing contact with the other. FIG. 4 shows eccentric element51, which again is the mirror image of eccentric element whereby tosimplify the understanding of the drawings of the invention. In boundarysurface 53 there is an arcuate pressure groove 55 centered on axis 28 ofthe rotor. There is an exhaust groove 56 which is similarly centered andthey are separate and apart from one another. A bearing surface 57 isformed in the eccentric element on axis 28 to receive bearing 37. Theexternal surface of the eccentric element is of the same diameter asdiameter 24 and rotates therein. It is centered on axis 19 of the caseso that the eccentric element is journal'ed in the case and axis 28rotates clockwise around axis 19.

A compartment exhaust port 58 is formed in boundary surface 53, andcertain of the exhaust passages 58a can be seen passing therethrough.Additional exhaust passages 59 connect to exhaust groove 56. A pluralityof compartment supply ports 6! are spaced apart from one another alongan arc in boundary face 53 and connect through compartment supplypassage 61 to pressure supply groove 55.

Now with reference to FIG. 1, it will be seen that pres sure supplygroove 55 is supplied with pressure through a passage 65 that in turncommunicates with a central port 66 in the end of the eccentric element.There is therefore always a source of pressure at groove 55. Similarly,exhaust groove 56 is connected by exhaust passage 58a to port 58 andthence through passages 38 to groove 22. Thus groove 56 is always underexhaust conditions.

It will be noted that because the eccentric elements are restrained tothe case by a bearing and restrained to the rotor by a bearing, thesebearings being parallel to and offset from each other, that the rotor,while it may freely contact the case can never move laterally inward,such that the axes would coincide under which circumstances the devicemight be rendered inoperable. Instead it serves to exclude them fromthis position and to keep the elements of the device in proper geometricrelationship.

A similar scheme is shown in FIG. 6 wherein a compartment-formingsurface 70 has within it a rotor 71 and in which an eccentric element 72on the order of a crank arm is journaled to the case by one bearing 73and to the rotor by another bearing 74 thereby providing the sameexclusion from a coincident axis condition.

The operation of the invention will be fully understood with referenceto FIG. 5, in which the overlay indicates the relationship between theeccentric elements, the rotor, and the compartment-forming surface 16 ofthe case. It will be observed that compartments A, B, C, and D are underpressure as supplied by ports 60 which overlay them. Compartment E isabout to receive fluid under pressure by the said overlap. This overlapis caused because the rotor is orbiting clockwise and thecompartmentf-orming surface of the rotor is receding from surface 16 inthese compartments. Point 75 represents the point of tangency betweenthe rotor and the end surface 16. Compartment F is increasing in volume,and compartment G is about to decrease in volume. However, the increasein the volume of compartments F and G from the size presently occupiedby compartment D was accomplished under power of expansion of the gaswhich they contained, because there is no exhaust connection to them atthis time. Compartments H, J, K, L, and M are decreasing in volume,because the rotor is rolling toward them in this posit-ion. Exhaust port58 is overhanging these latter compartments and serving to exhaust themand is about to begin to overlap compartment G.

As to the vanes, as the volume of the compartments formed is to decreasethe vanes must retract into the rotor by force exerted from the case,and there should be exhaust pressure behind them. For this purposeexhaust groove 56 has overlapped vanes N, P, R, S and T. On the otherhand when the compartments are under power the vanes should be extendedand for this reason supply groove 55 is overlapping chambers behindvanes U, V, W, X, Y, Z and AA. As the rotor turns relative to theeccentric element, then the different vane chambers will register withthe same. For example, with further rotation port 56 will overlap thechamber behind vane AA and groove 55 will move off that chamber whilethe vane chamber behind vane T will move away from port 56 and overlapport 55.

The above-described sequential operation causes the condition of FIG. 5to move smoothly around the axis as the pressure conditions go on insequential compartments and behind sequential vanes and the exhaustconditions go on in sequential compartments and behind sequential vanes,there preferably but not necessarily being one or two compartments inwhich there exists yet the opportunity for expansion under the power ofgas which, has already been supplied thereto. This action causes therotor to orbit in the case, and this orbiting causes the unbalancedcentrifugal force which is used for purposes such as settling anddistributing concrete in forms, or for compacting earth.

Because this device is subject to such closed timing, it has been foundpossible to use it both with compressed air or with other gases and withhydraulic fluids. Speeds as high as 7,000 rpm. have readily beenattained, and its simplicity radically reduced repair and maintenance.

FIG. 6 illustrates a simplification of the device wherein a simple crankis utilized to exclude the rotor from a centralized position. It will beunderstood that the crank of FIG. 6 may be utilized with orindependently of the eccentric element shown in the other figures andthat either one pair or two pair of these eccentric elements with matingbounding surfaces on the rotor may be used as desired.

This invention is not to be limited by the embodiments shown in thedrawings and described in the description which are given by way ofexample and not of limitation but only in accordance with the scope ofthe appended claims.

I claim:

1. A vibrator comprising: a case having an internal cavity with acentral axis and supply and exhaust ports; a cylindricalcompartment-forming surface partially bounding said cavity having afirst diameter centered on said central axis; a free rotor in saidcavity adapted to roll around inside the case in bearing contacttherewith in order to exert unbalanced centrifugal forces on said case,the rotor having a central axis; an external cylindricalcompartment-forming surface on said rotor having a second diameter whichis smaller than said first diameter and centered on the central axis ofthe rotor, said rotor having a plurality of vane recesses opening intothe rotor from its compartment-forming surface, and also opening intothe rotor from a boundary surface which is a surface of revolution thatlies obliquely to the axis, the axes of the rotor and the cavity beingparallel; a vane slidably disposed in each of said vane recesses andadapted to extend beyond the compartment-forming surface of the rotor tomake contact with the compartment-forming surface of the cavity and tobe retracted into the respective recess by force exerted on it by thecompartment-forming surface of the cavity, respective compartments beingformed between adjacent vanes and the compartment-forming surfaces; avane chamber being formed inside each recess which is bounded by thevane and the walls of the recess, and which opens on the boundarysurface; and an eccentric element comprising a body having a pair ofoflset but parallel bearings, the first being rotatably mounted to thecase on its central axis, and the second being rotatably mounted to therotor on its central axis, whereby the eccentric element rotates aroundthe case axis when the rotor orbits in the case; and ports and passagesso disposed and arranged in the eccentric element as sequentially andperiodically to supply fluid under pressure to the vane chambers and tothe compartments, and to exhaust the same, whereby to cause the rotor toorbit in the cavity.

2. A vibrator according to claim 1 in which the eccentric element islaterally restrained by the case, and itself laterally restrains therotor, in such a manner as to exclude the rotor from assuming a positionwherein the axes are coincident.

3. A vibrator according to claim 1 in which the eccentric elementincludes a boundary surface contiguous to a boundary surface on therotor, said ports in the eccentric element opening on to said boundarysurface of the rotor, and in which the case supply and exhaust ports arein continuous communication with respective passages in the eccentricelement.

4. A vibrator according to claim 3 in which the said boundary surfacesare planar.

5. A vibrator according to claim 3 in which ports in the eccentricelement comprise a supply port and an exhaust port, adapted to overlaysequential vane chambers so as to apply elevated or exhaust pressureconditions thereto.

6. A vibrator according to claim 5 in which said supply and exhaustports in the eccentric element comprise arcuate ports centered on thecentral axis of the eccentric element, a plurality of adjacent vanechambers simultaneously overlapping each of the same.

7. A vibrator according to claim 3 in which the ports in the eccentricelement comprise supply and exhaust openings in the said boundarysurface of the eccentric element which extends over a respective arcuateregion sufficient that each overlaps a plurality of compartments.

8. A vibrator according to claim 7 in which the ports in the eccentricelement comprise a supply port and an exhaust port, adapted to overlaysequential vane chambers so as to apply elevated or exhaust pressureconditions thereto.

9. A vibrator according to claim 8 in which said supply and exhaustports in the eccentric element comprise arcuate ports centered on thecentral axis of the eccentric elements, a plurality of adjacent vanechambers simultaneously overlapping each of the same.

10. A vibrator according to claim 9 in which the supply and exhaustopenings in the eccentric element are fluidly interconnected withrespective ones of said arcuate ports.

11. A virbator according to claim 3 in which said boundary surfaces, andports in the eccentric element, are duplicated at both ends of saidrotor, and in which passage means extends through the rotor to providesupply and exhaust conditions at both ends.

12. A vibrator according to claim 3 in which said vanes are uniformlyspaced around the axis of said rotor.

13. A vibrator according to claim 3 in which the eccentric elementcomprises a circular disc rotatably fitted in the cavity, and includesan offset hole to receive a circular shaft centered on the axis of therotor.

14. A vibrator comprising: a case having an internal cavity with acentral axis and a cylindrical surface partially bounding said cavityand extending axially therein; a free rotor having an externalcylindrical surface of smaller diameter than said first-namedcylindrical surface and a central axis, whereby the rotor may rollaround in said cavity to exert unbalanced centrifugal forces on thecylindrical surface bounding the cavity, and an eccentric element with afirst and second bearing, each bearing being restrained to rotationabout a respective one of said axes, said eccentric element leavingunimpeded the bearing contact of rotor and case, but excluding the rotorfrom a position wherein the axes are coincident.

15. A vibrator according to claim 14 in which the eccentric element is acrank.

16. A vibrator according to claim 14 in which .the eccentric elementcomprises a circular disc rotatably fitted in the cavity, and includesan offset hole to receive a circular shaft centered on the axis of therotor.

17. A vibrator comprising: a case having a cavity; an internalcylindrical compartment-forming surface in said cavity, having a firstdiameter, a rotor within the cavity continuously adapted to bear againstthe case having a central axis and an external compartment-formingsurface having a second diameter, the said surfaces each having an axis,said axes being parallel and normally displaced from one another; aplurality of vanes carried in vane chambers in the rotor, which vanesare reciprocable within, extensible beyond, and axially coextensivewith, the compartment-forming surface on the rotor, and thereby beingadapted to form a compartment between a pair of adjacent vanes and thetwo compartment-forming surfaces; and fluid supply and exhaust means forcausing rolling movement of the rotor within the case by periodicallyplacing compartments under greater and lesser pressures, the rotor beingin constant rolling contact with the v 7 case during said rollingmovement, the fluid supply and exhaust means including an eccentricelement journaled to the case and to the rotor about the respective axesand being thereby adapted to turn as a crank when the rotor rolls in thecase, the eccentric element having supply and exhaust passages which areadapted to be connected to a supply of pressurized fluid and to acollector of exhaust fluid, respectively, and also having supply andexhaust ports to communicate with the vane chambers and with thecompartments for sequeitially applying pressure and exhaust connectionsthereto.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,171,634 3/1965Malan 2591 YVALTER A. SCHEEL, Primary Examiner.

J. M. BELL, Assistant Examiner.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No.3,282,570 November 1, 1966 George L: Malan It is hereby certified thaterror appears in the above numbered patent requiring correction and thatthe said Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

Column 1, line 11, for "July 7," read July 6, column 2, line 62, for"3,219,925" read 3,129,925 column 5, line 75, for "in which ports" readin which the ports column 6, line 29, for "virbator" read vibrator LSigned and sealed this 5th day of September 1967.

( L) Attest:

ERNEST W. SWIDER EDWARD J. BRENNER Attesting Officer Commissioner ofPatents

1. A VIBRATOR COMPRISING: A CASE HAVING AN INTERNAL CAVITY WITH ACENTRAL AXIS AND SUPPLY AND EXHAUST PORTS; A CYLINDRICALCOMPARTRMENT-FORMING SURFACE PARTIALLY BOUNDING SAID CAVITY HAVING AFIRST DIAMETER CENTERED ON SAID CENTRAL AXIS; A FREE ROTOR IN SAIDCAVITY ADAPTED TO ROLL AROUND INSIDE THE CASE IN BEARING CONTACTTHEREWITH IN ORDER TO EXERT UNBALANCED CENTRIFUGAL FORCES ON SAID CASE,THE ROTOR HAVING A CENTRAL AXIS; AN EXTERNAL CYLINDRICALCOMPARTMENT-FORMING SURFACE ON SAID ROTOR HAVING A SECOND DIAMETER WHICHIS SMALLER THAN SAID FIRST DIAMETER AND CENTERED ON THE CENTRAL AXIS OFTHE ROTOR, SAID ROTOR HAVING A PLURALITY OF VANE RECESSES OPENING INTOTHE ROTOR FROM ITS COMPARTMENT-FORMING SURFACE, AND ALSO OPENING INTOTHE ROTOR FROM A BOUNDARY SURFACE WHICH IS A SURFACE OF REVOLUTION THATLIES OBLIQUELY TO THE AXIS, THE AXES OF THE ROTOR AND THE CAVITY BEINGPARALLEL; A VANE SLIDABLY DISPOSED IN EACH OF SAID VANE RECESSES ANDADAPTED TO EXTEND BEYOND THE COMPARTMENT-FORMING SURFACE TO MAKE CONTACTWITH THE COMPARTMENT-FORMING SURFACE OF THE CAVITY AND TO BE RETRACTEDINTO THE RESPECTIVE RECESS BY FORCE EXERTED ON IT BY THECOMPARTMENT-FORMING SURFACE OF THE CAVITY, RESPECTIVE COMPARTMENTS BEINGFORMED BETWEEN ADJACENT VANES AND THE COMPARTMENT-FORMING SURFACES; AVANE CHAMBER BEING FORMED INSIDE EACH RECESS WHICH IS BOUNDED BY THEVANE AND THE WALLS OF THE RECESS, AND WHICH OPENS ON THE BOUNDARYSURFACE; AND AN ECCENTRIC ELEMENT COMPRISING A BODY HAVING A PAIR OFOFFSET BUT PARALLEL BEARINGS, THE FIRST BEING ROTATABLY MOUNTED TO THECASE ON ITS CENTRAL AXIS, AND THE SECOND BEING ROTATABLY MOUNTED TO THEROTOR ON ITS CENTRAL AXIS, WHEREBY THE ECCENTRIC ELEMENT ROTATES AROUNDTHE CASE AXIS WHEN THE ROTOR ORBITS IN THE CASE; AND PORTS AND PASSAGESSO DISPOSED AND ARRANGED IN THE ECCENTRIC ELEMENT AS SEQUENTIALLY ANDPERIODICALLY TO SUPPLY FLUID UNDER PRESSURE TO THE VANE CHAMBERS AND TOTHE COMPARTMENTS, AND TO EXHAUST THE SAME, WHEREBY THE CAUSE THE ROTORTO ORBIT IN THE CAVITY.